Check whether your website backup is complete

Before you start

• Use authorised access to the backup dashboard or a report supplied by your provider.
• Keep a list of the important website components and the date of a recent known change.

What to do

1. Check which website the record belongs to

   Confirm the domain, environment and completion time. A successful copy of yesterday’s staging site is not evidence about today’s live website. Record warnings or skipped items as well as the headline status, and ask the provider what an unfamiliar message means.

2. Compare scope with the actual platform

   A typical WordPress recovery needs both its files and database. Other platforms have different export and history limits. Ask which components this job includes instead of assuming that a downloaded archive or exported page list contains the complete working site.

3. Name anything outside that copy

   Check separately for business mailboxes, external bookings, payment records and files held in other services. Mark each item as covered elsewhere, intentionally excluded or unresolved. This makes the gaps visible without encouraging anyone to download unnecessary customer information into a personal folder.

4. Request a meaningful recovery check

   Ask when this backup method was last tested and what was recovered. A useful record identifies the copy, test destination and checks performed. If there is no rehearsal evidence, arrange one safely with the responsible provider rather than clicking a live restore button to find out.

What to check

• The record identifies the correct site and a completed backup time.
• Included components and known exclusions are written down.
• Recovery evidence is available, or a safe verification action has an owner.

Sources and further reading

Platform features can change. Check the provider’s current guidance before changing a live service.

• WordPress files and database backups
• NCSC guidance on backing up and restoring data